Short Story: Fractured Peace by Akshaya Ganesh

In this short story, Akshaya Ganesh takes the reader through an emotional roller-coaster ride depicting what a woman goes through in society while menstruating.

Gowri woke up to the ache. The familiar pull pulsed in her lower abdomen, a silent herald of her monthly cycle. She moved slowly, carefully, as if the day could only begin if she allowed herself to ease into it. The early morning light peeked through the window, casting a soft golden glow across her room. The warm kiss of the sun on her face felt, almost kind, but not enough to dissolve the heaviness within her. 

She walked to the small wooden cupboard, her fingers brushing over the contents, before she reached for the thin package hidden in the corner. The sanitary pads. A simple necessity, a monthly ally. But to her mother, they were more than just a necessity. They were a symbol of impurity and prohibition. Gowri knew this all too well.